Pneumatic door-operating mechanism.



T. R. BROWN.-

PNEUMATIG DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLIDATIOH YILED MAIL. 15, 1906. RENEWED MAR. 12,1909.

1,002,029. Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

WQTNESSES: I INVENTOR a :1 Jlzorgwyflfimwm C7=% i. I a; M4 v ATTORNEY T R. BROWN.

PNEUMATIC DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATIDN FILED MAR. 15, 1906. RENEWED MAR. 12, 1909.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

INVENTOR 712mm ZZflmw/v WUNESSES:

ATTORNEY THOMAS R. BROWN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

UNI TED STATES PA NT OFFICE.

Ass'ieiron, BY MESNE- A ss i nM NTs, o

NATIONAL PNEUMATIC COMPANY, A oeRPoRATIoN or WEST viItGIiv'Ia. a u v a To it may concern:

' dentof New York city, in the county of after described, out theplaims.

New York and State of New York," have in'yent ed certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Door-Operating Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

Theinvention relates to improvements in pneumatic door-operating mechanisms, and

it consists in the novel features, arrangements and combinations of parts herein and particularly pointed preset'my invention herein as applied t'o a Earlier opening and closing the door thereof and in its preferred embodiment my invention comprises means whereby upon the movement of a contl'ohhandle. to one position, com ressed air will be caused to effect the un etching and opening of the door and uponlthe movement of said handle toan'other position, the same air, then acting againsta surface of larger area, Will be caused to efiect the closing of the door; the latter becoming liitched upon reaching its closed position. I thus utilize the air by which the door is opened for closing the Same and avoid the waste of air which would resultif lonesupply of air from the reseryoir were-employed in opening the door and another supply thereof used forrl com] JSQ a; manually operable control-valve to afv'h'c casinga pipe from areservoir for comp; 7 air Wlll lead, a door-latching de rice to -which a pipe from said casing will ,extendgandpass.theuce to "one end of a fixed pipe which enters one end of a cylindcr secured to the door, and a second pipe lca'dintfrj from said valve casing to another 'fixed npe' which enters. the other end of sai(l"lcylruder,ithe'adjoining ends of said fixed Wi-t'l-rin said cylinder being coupl ulsobeing n'm'ided with airports. Upon the umromcntof-the control valve to one positio'nf'thecompressed air will pass through Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 15, 1906, Serial No. 306,130.

't ogitlfier and holding a piston and- IPNEUMA'IIC DOOR-OllERATING MECHANISM.

Patented A,ii,29, 1911. Renewed March 12, 1909. S,r1a1No;.'483,061.

its casing to the pipe leading *to xthe'doorlatching device and after:freing tlie 'latch from engagement with the floor? travel thence to the opening-'endj' asfi may -fOr convenience be termed, of t'lie'! cylinder, wherein it will act -to move said cylinder on said fixed pipes and thereby effect the open ing of the door. Thereafter iipon "tlieiinove' ment of the control valve to anot'hor' position the air supply pipe-from -the' reservoir will be cut oil and the-pipe leading from the valve-casing to the fixed pe','e1itci'i1ig the other or closing-end of id cylinder, Will bo-placed in communication \v itlf'th'e p'ipe leading to the opening end of said-cyl inder, with the result that ithe airin 't'h'e' pipexsylstem at one side of the piston will expand into the pipe system leading to the cylinder at the other-side otsa'id piston'and; enter thesame, wherein, actingagainsta surface of larger area than'thatin the open ing-end of the cylinder, it'will reieise"the' movement of said cylinderonsaid fixed pipes and effect the closing" oftl'ie "do'o 'rj tgh'e air in the then connected" tenij df pipes's and cylinder exhai'lsting tlirouqli' aisiiitalble Ventupon the doors reaching itsclosed'po sit-ion and the latch then aiitolnatical'ly passing into locking engz-igement with; the closed door. I have illustrated, in t1 )lica'tloiythle cylinder Within Which'the" *a'cts open and close the door, all upper edgeof the latter, lil lli sfllfil may be disposed at the ion e door if so desired, The invention will" H from the detailed desori one id to presontedl reference hein z h z the' zic coln mnyinu' drawings, in whichz' I ignro 1 is a side elevation, part] l a Way and partlyin section hf l with door operating in v structod'in accordance.witliande V the invention, and Fig- 2 (:piitia tical longitudinal 'se'c tiorr; away, of the operating cyli netted:- parts, the piston i ll n hcinjg slioi in the posit-ion l 'olpics en j the:kltlornsuii'closcdp'ositiolii f'z p the said cylinder su ported. and secured bythe meeting ends 0 the fixed pipes 17, 21.

The cylinder 19 is secured to the door 11,'

and said cylinder and door are suspended from a rail 24 by means of usual ro1lers25' which may travel upon said rail duringthe' opening and closing of the door. The fixed pipes 17 ,21 are, at their outer ends, secured in portions of the framing 26 of the car, and said pipes are in line with eachother and extend toward each other through the respective heads of the cylinder 19, the pipe 17 being of larger diameter than the pipe 21 and the latter at its inner end being threaded, as shownin Fig. 2, to engage a thread formed within the inner end of the pipe 17. The pipes 17, '21 at their inner ends are respectively provided with flanges 27, 28 between which is clamped the cuppiston 23. The inner threaded end of the pipe 21 is closed and said pipe during'the closing of the door only communicates with the left-hand or closing end 22 of the cyl-v inder 19, and this communication is by means of-a port 29 formed in said pipe adjacent to the piston 23'. The pipe 17 only communicates with the opening-end 18 of the cylinderlt) during the opening of the door,

and this communication is through a port 30.

formed in said pipe adjacent to the piston 23. The cylinder 19 being rigid with the door, will, durin ter, travel longitudinally upon the fixed pipes 17, 21, the piston 23 remaining sta tionary. eter than the pipe 21 and hence the resist ing surface areas in the respective-ends of the cylinder 19 against which the compressed air may act vary, the surface area in the closing-end of the cylinder being "greater than that in the opening-end thereof, due to the decreased diameter of the pipe 21.

The control-valve within the casing 12 is operable by means of a handle 31 andis a two-way, valve of any suitable character adapted when the handle 31 ist-urncd to one position'to place the supply pipe 13 in comm'unication with the pipe '14 and when turned to another or its closing position tocut off the pipe 13 and place the pipes 14, 20 in communication with each other so that the air in the pipe 14 may expand into the pipe 20. I do not limit my invention to any specialform of two-way valve within the casing12 but one example'of such valve is illustrated in detail in my application Sethe operation of the lat-' The pipe 17. is of greaterv dian1-.

rial No. 483,058 of even date herewith for Letters Patent-forimprovements in door operating mechanisms.

' Within the casing 15 for the door latching device is provided a vertical plunger valve from which projects a vertical; stem 33 directly below the pivoted latch 34 adapted to engage a catch arm 35 secured to the door 11. When the valve 32 is in its lower position the stem 33 permits the latch tovrea main in engagement with ,the catch arm-35, and said valve 32 when in its lower position cuts oil communication from the pipe 14 to the branch pipe 16. When is admitted to the pipe 14 for opening the door itjvill elevate the valve 32 and disengage thelatch 34 from the catch a'rin 35 and also open the port to'the pipe 16, into'which the air will pass on its way to the fixed pipe 17' and opening-end .18 oi the cylinder 1.). The latch 34 will remain inits clevated position so long. as the air pressure'reinains inthe pipe 14 but-after the door 11 has been opened and then closed the air in the pip'esystem is permitted to exhaust and at such "time the valve 32 will descend and the latch "34 automatically r'engage the catch arm 35.

In the operation of my invention, the door being in closed positiom'the control handle 31 will be moved to-plaee the 'supply'pipe' 13"' in communication with the door opening 1)'ipe14,'-aiicl tliereiiponthe compressed air will flow through the pipe 14 to the casing 15, unlatching the door, and thenth'rougl'i the branch pipe 16 to the fixed pipe 17 throughwhich' it will pass and. escape, through the port-"30, into the opening end 18 of thecylinder 19, .wherein the air acting against the cylinder head will 4 force the cylinder 'and' .door to the Open position of the latter.'- The door will be held open so'long as the air pressure is per-v mitted to exert itsforce within thcope-ning end of the cylinder. \Vhen it is desired to close-the door 11 the control handle 31 will be moved to its other or closed position and; thereby cut oii the supplypipe-13 and place the pipe-s14, 20 in communication witlreachother, and "thereupon the air in the pipes 14, 16, 17 and in the cylinder at the o'pei'iin'g side of the. piston, will expand into the pipes 20 and 2l ancl' escape through the port into the closing-end 22 of the cylinder-519, wherein said air actingagainstthe left hand cylinder head will drive saidjc-ylinder; to its initial position arl etfectthe'fclosiiigi of .the door.- Upon th door reachi11g, it's' closed position, a by-pa groove 36 (Fig, 2)

in the wall of the cylinder, at the opening end thereof, becomes partly.uncovered andpermits the air within the cylinder and con- ,nec'ted pipes to exhaust around the piston and through the, port 30 intothe pipe 17 and thence through the vent 37 formed in' saidpipe ina position to :be-uncovered by the adjacent cylinder head when the door is i in its closed position, whereupon the air pressure being relieved the valve 32 will descend to'itsinitia]. position and permit the latch to pass into reengagement with the catch arm 35, looking the door in its closed position. Theareas of by-pass :groove 36 and ot vent opening 37 should be so restricted and limited in proportion to the size of the "port openings 30 and 29 that when pressure medium is initially supplied through pipe 27 to the opening end of the cylinder a movement of the cylinder Will be effected so as to close the vent opening 27 and by-pass groove 36 before any appreciable or material exhaust of the pressure medium takes place therethrough, The surface area .at the right hand end of the cylinder against which the air acts to effect the opening of the door is less than that against which the air acts in the 0 posite end of the cylinder in forcing the cor to its closed position, and thus I am enabled to utilize the same air which effected the opening of the door, for closing the same.

The fixed pipes 17, 21' aid in supporting and guiding the cylinder -19 and door 11 and afford a very durable and simple construction and arrangement, said pipes also at their outer ends conveniently receiving the ends of the pipes 16, 20. i

IWhat I claim my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

l, Inv coin'bii'iation, in a mechanism for moving doors or other devices, an elementto Jbemoved, a cylinder connected to move with said. element for actuating the same and presenting" at its ends opposing faces of unequal. areas to be acted upon respectively by compressed air, a stationary piston within said cylinder, fixed pipes extending through'the respective ends of said cylinder and connected with said piston" and upon which pipes said cylinder may move back and forth, said pipes having out-let ports adjacent to said piston, a manually operable control valve connected with a source of supply for the air, and pipes leading therefrom to said fixed pipes, said valve being adapted when moved to one position to admit the air to one of said pipes and its communicating fixed pipe .for moving the be moved, a cylinder connected to move with said element, and havingat its ends opposing faces of unequal areas, .a stationary piston in the cylinder, and valve mechanism for controlling the supply of pressure medium to one end of said cylinder, said valve mechanism operating, when actuated, to place both ends of said cylinder in commu- "nication with each other.

3. In combination, in a mechanism. for moving doors or other devices, an element to be n1oved,a cylinder connected to move- With said elemenhsaid cylinder having opposing end faces of unequal area, a stationary piston arranged in said cylinder, a valve casing, a supply pipe connection to the said casing, delivery pipes intermediate said casing and the respective ends of said cylinder, and means for placing said deliv-' ery connections from the valve casing to the respective endshof the cylinder into communication with each other.

Signed at New York city, in the county of N ew York and State of New York this 13th day of March A. D. 1906. v v

THOMAS E. BROWN.

\Vitnesses ARTHUR ll-Luiioiv,

CHAS. C. GILL. 

